"Boardwalk Empire" meets "Miss Universe" in 1927 Galveston, Texas-the "Sin City of the Southwest." Jasmine ("Jazz") Cross is an ambitious 21-year-old society reporter for the Galveston Gazette who wants to be taken seriously by the good-old-boy staff, but the editors only assign her fluffy puff pieces, like writing profiles of bathing beauties.

The last thing Jazz wants to do is compare make-up tips with ditzy dames competing in the Miss Universe contest, known as the "International Pageant of Pulchritude and Bathing Girl Revue." She'd rather help solve the murders of young prostitutes who turn up all over town, but city officials insist on burying the stories during Splash Day festivities. After Jazz gets to know the bathing beauties, she realizes there's a lot more to them than just pretty faces and figures.

Jazz becomes suspicious when she finds out the contest is also sponsored by the Maceos, aspiring Beach Gang leaders and co-owners of the Hollywood Dinner Club, where the girls will perform before the parade and pageant. Worse, her half-brother Sammy Cook, owner of the Oasis, a speakeasy on a rival gang's turf, asks her to call in a favor from handsome Prohibition Agent James Burton: He wants Agent Burton to raid the Hollywood Club during the bathing beauties dance routine--or risk revenge from the Downtown Gang leader. Her loyalties torn, Jazz is faced with an impossible task that could compromise both of their jobs and budding romance.

Meanwhile, Jazz fends off advances from Colin Ferris, an attractive but dangerous gangster who threatens Sammy as well as Burton. In the end, she must risk it all to save her friends from a violent killer hell-bent on vengeance.

My Thoughts:

This book is the continuing story of Jazz and her colorful friends, Sammy, Amanda, Nathan and Agent James Burton. Instead of getting her big break in the journalism world Jazz is covering The Bathing Beauties who are in the town for the Miss Universe and Miss USA contests. Of course Jazz is less than thrilled at first, but overtime she learns about The Bathing Beauties which changes her opinion.

Sammy has his own issues with someone thinking Sammy is buddied up with Prohibition Agent Burton. Of course he uses Jazz as a messenger of sorts which creates complications with James Burton. Then girls are being found murdered but the coppers are quick to call it suicide and shut the book. Is it really suicide or something more sinister?

I can't rave about these books enough they bring you to a different lifetime. Things in some ways more fun hanging out with all sorts of people and spending time out in public and meeting new people. I just love it and can't wait to read the next one in the series which I will be book touring at the end of July.